Reiun-ji, Buddhist temple in Yushima, Japan
Reiun-ji is a Buddhist temple in the Yushima neighborhood of Tokyo, affiliated with the Rinzai school of Zen. The grounds include a main hall, a cemetery, and a small garden, all arranged around a quiet central courtyard.
The temple was founded in the early 17th century, during a period when the Tokugawa shogunate actively supported Zen Buddhist institutions across Edo. It survived the fires and earthquakes that repeatedly reshaped the surrounding neighborhood over the following centuries.
Reiun-ji belongs to the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism, a tradition that favors simplicity and direct experience over ceremony. This is visible in the plain interior of the halls and the sparse, careful layout of the grounds.
The temple is a short walk from Yushima or Nezu stations and can easily be combined with a tour of the other temples and shrines in the area. The grounds are open to visitors and can be explored on foot without any particular preparation.
The temple cemetery contains the grave of Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, a senior advisor to the fifth Tokugawa shogun and one of the most powerful officials in early 18th-century Japan. His tombstone is still on the grounds and can be seen during a visit.
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